Do you have a strong sense that the whole world is fairly distracted these days? If a solar eclipse happens, this has an effect on many of us. The political storms raging has an effect on us. Is the media or an eclipse to blame, or have we permitted our minds to linger too long in distraction and away from our more significant decisions?

Are we judicious in what we allow into our minds, or do we open the floodgate and let it all in. We are not going to achieve our goals unless we learn what to focus upon and what to let go. This is dramatically true for negative influences in our life.

Rosalene Glickman, Ph.D. discusses this necessity in her intriguing book, Optimal Thinking, specifically in her chapter on Optimal Thinking: The Next Step Beyond Positive Thinking. According to Glickman, optimal thinkers:

- Accept what we can’t control (like the weather, interest rates, and others’ choices) and maximize what we can control.

- Embrace the present, lean into our own intuition, look for other alternatives, examine their pros and cons and then decide which solution will work best within your time constraints.

- Select the optimal one and then let it rest. Having surrendered our best contribution, we can peacefully move on to the next important issue.

Maximize feelings, skill sets, associations, and the life style you choose.

Her point is of course to let go of distractions that don’t pertain to you right now, in this moment. Instead, focus upon what does. Sound easy? With practice it can be.

Do you allow yourself to sit in a meeting with your thinking drifting to some other task, like the wording in a memo you just sent out; or why isn’t your team up to par or why do your kids behave in some particular way? Have similar distractions kept you from a good nights sleep?

When you are in a team meeting is the time to focus on your team. When you journal, you can put a strong focus on your family and your own precious Self. Exercising allows you clarity on all important issues. A regular retreat or planning session away from home and office allows you time to separate issues and focus on each in a powerful manner.

I’d love to hear about any methods you use to eliminate your distractions. If you don’t, use this as a passionate project this week. You can elevate your life to one filled with conscious decisions. Learn to let the rest go. Discover and focus on your own mode of optimal thinking and lavish in it! Enjoy your discoveries.

Ann Golden Egle